When Texans head to the ballot box today they will be asked to approve a one-of-a-kind water conservation tax incentive that appears especially enticing during a record-breaking drought that has sucked dry nearly every area of the state.

The constitutional amendment — known as Prop 8 — would give tax breaks to landowners who take measures to conserve water and preserve water quality. The proposal is being hailed as one of the few measures approved by the Legislature last session that received bipartisan support almost every step of the way despite an increasingly acrimonious political environment that has largely divided lawmakers along party lines. State government experts believe the rule could become an example for how other water-starved states could encourage property owners to conserve the increasingly scarce natural resource…

…The rule would give landowners who implement water-conserving measures — such as planting more native grasses that require less water or fencing off streams to prevent erosion — a lower valuation on their property, similar to how an agricultural or wildlife exemption works. (Read full story here)